1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a protective support device and more particularly to an athletic supporter having a protective enclosure that is adapted to receive a cup to be worn with the athletic supporter in one application of use and is adapted in an another application of use to support the groin region of the wearer without a cup when participating in strenuous work or athletic activity that does not require cup protection.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices and garments for protecting portions of the human body against injury during strenuous work and athletic activity are well known in the art. The most commonly known garments are the athletic supporter and the protective cup which are both used to provide different degrees of protection for the groin region of the male body from impact. The athletic supporter or jock strap is primarily used to support the groin region and the protective cup is used to protect the groin region from injury due to impact blows.
The conventional athletic supporter is most commonly associated with "light" athletic activity, such as gym-type athletic activity that does not involve bodily contact or use of a projectile. On the other hand, the protective cup is used in the body contact sports, such as football, hockey, rugby, soccer, and other sports that utilize a projectile to avoid injury by blows inadvertently directed to the groin region of the participant.
Examples of known protective devices that provide cup protection are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,283,684; 3,176,686; 3,229,692; 3,314,422; 3,788,314; and 4,043,329. Generally the cup protector is molded from a semi-rigid material or a rigid plastic material such as polypropylene or polyethylene as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,400. Also the cup protector may be constructed of foam rubber and foam is also used to line the peripheral edge of the cup and make the cup more comfortable and non-irritating when worn.
The protective cup must be supported in a manner to cover the area of the body to be protected and to remain in the desired position during physical activity of the wearer. This may be accomplished by a number of methods where the cup is inserted as a separate element between the body of the wearer and the athletic garment. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,229,692 discloses a separable protective insert adapted to be worn by the wearer under tight trunks or shorts in contact with the groin area.
The protector cup disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,314 is freely inserted within a pouch that is formed integral with an athletic garment. The pouch converges to a generally pointed lower end and has an open upper end for receiving the cup. The open upper end is closable by gripping strips so that the cup is held in place on the wearer over the groin region. U.S. Pat. No. 2,283,684 also discloses a relatively rigid cup member which is inserted in a pouch that is worn around the waist of the wearer to position the cup member over and in contact with the groin region.
It is also known, as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,176,686 to integrally connect a cup protector to elastic straps to maintain the cup in a desired position on the wearer's body. In this device the elastic straps and protector can be constructed for wear by both males and females to provide the desired bodily protection from inadvertant blows directed to the body.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,314,422 discloses a protective cup fabricated from foam rubber padding and held in place on the wearer by strap means connected to the cup. In the alternative, the cup may be used as either an undergarment or formed as an integral part of an outer garment. In this manner the cup, a cup supporter and the outer garment are all integrally combined to form one complete garment.
One of the more commonly known methods of holding a protective cup against the wearer's body to protect the groin region from impact blows is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,400. This device utilizes a jock strap that includes a pouch for holding the protective cup over the groin region. The pouch is closed at one end where it is connected to straps that extend downwardly from the waistband and is open at an upper end where the inner layer of the pouch is connected to the waistband. Fasteners positioned at the opening of the pouch close the pouch to secure the cup in the pouch in position on the body.
While it has been suggested by the prior art devices to utilize jock straps to provide bodily support during athletic activity and cup protectors to provide bodily protection while participating in contact sports and sports utilizing projectiles, the known devices are specifically constructed for either one of these two types of use. Consequently, the protective devices are not adaptable for more than a single use. Separate athletic garments must be used for protection in the non-contact sports and the contact sports. Thus a jock strap that is used for support while participating in light athletic activity is not adaptable to support a protective cup to be used in contact athletic activity. Also, the known devices, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,400, for supporting a protective cup on the wearer's body is not operable to provide bodily support without the protective cup.
Therefore, there is need for a multi-purpose athletic supporter that is usable in one application as means for providing bodily support while participating in rigorous work or non-contact sports and in a second application for holding a protective cup in contact with the area of the body to be protected from impact blows while participating in contact sports.